“During October, we raise awareness and encourage people to take steps to reduce their risk of breast cancer,” First Lady Melania Trump said in a statement released by the administration Sunday.

“I encourage all women to talk to their health care providers about mammograms and other methods of early detection and what can be done to reduce that risk,” it quoted her as saying.

The White House said that more than 250,000 US women and 2,000 men would likely be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

“To encourage women to take steps in detecting breast cancer early and to express solidarity with those who have been affected by the disease, the White House will be lit pink this evening,” the statement said.

First Lady Melania Trump later tweeted a photo of the illuminated White House portico taken from within the residence, saying: “In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month we lit the @WhiteHouse pink!”